Living in a World of Lies
by muffinluv
Summary: Have you ever been lied to? Did someone ever tell you they loved you but then threw you away like worthless dirt? To be abandoned and betrayed and forgotten and then have everything you have ever known taken away from you... it hurts. More inside.
1. Prologue: An Elders Tale

**LIVING IN A WORLD OF LIES**

_Have you ever been lied to? Did someone ever tell you they loved you but then threw you away like worthless dirt? To be abandoned and betrayed and forgotten like that, and then have everything you ever loved taken away from you… believe me, it hurts. It hurts so terribly that it leaves a wound so deep in your heart that you can never be healed. It will plague your thoughts day and night until the day you fall. And collapse. And finally, die._

This story takes place in the lake territory decades after Firestar's rule. All cats are original characters and are owned by me (muffinluv), Shadowed Horizon, UntamedWind and Tawnycloud. DoomClan is © me (muffinluv).

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Warriors series however much I would like to and I am not Erin Hunter. This story, plot and characters belong to me unless otherwise stated. Plagiarism is prohibited.**

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**COMMENTS:** Ahh yes… the prologue. This is a pretty boring part, but please bear with me. You'll understand why I put this here after a few chapters. Chapter 1 is coming up soon. It's going to be a short one though (can't think of more to write).

**STORY EDITTED ON APRIL 27, 2008**

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**Prologue: An Elder's Tale**

"Please tell me a story!" A small tabby apprentice meowed to a group of elders as he searched for ticks that were embedded in their pelts.

"A story eh?" A tortoiseshell queen meowed; her voice cracked with age. The young apprentice's eyes were bright and eager, which made it hard to resist, even on a hot summer day like this, when all any cat wanted to do was sleep. "Well, if you really want to… then I guess that could be done." She sighed and shook her head with mock annoyance.

The little apprentice purred with happiness, his eyes shonewith excitement as he looked up at the elder. "Tell me a story of the great cats that roamed the forest long ago before the Clan cats arrived."

The she-cat elder thought for a while, she searched her memory for a tale the elders once told her when she was an apprentice. "How about a story about a black panther called Fang of the Shadows?"

"That sounds scary," he shivered at the name. Afraid that she would decide not to tell the story since it might frighten him, he added, "but please, do tell!"

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"Long long ago, before any clan cat inhabited the forest, giant cats roamed this land. They were taller than twolegs, and stronger than the largest badger. There was LionClan, who had golden pelts and beautiful manes. The cats of TigerClan were bright orange with black stripes, they were the hunters of the night And LeopardClan, the fastest of them all; they were lithe golden cats with black spots. And then there was PantherClan, as black as the night and as mysterious as the darkest shadow. But the most mysterious and feared of them all was a massive black panther named Fang of the Shadows.

"Very little was known about him, except that he was the largest cat in the whole forest and had the sharpest, deadliest fangs that could snap a tree in half. All the creatures feared him, and they often questioned StarClan's motives for sending such a dreadful creature to prowl the forest.

"Legend has it that the night of the new moon – the darkest night in the calendar, the dark panther would prowl out from his cave and hunt.

"He did not hunt prey, but cats. He hunted cats from every clan, even the ones from his own—PantherClan. Not one of his victims were ever able to escape from his deathly grip; for he had teeth so strong it could crush a cat's skull and claws so sharp that it could tear its victim into a million pieces. Their instincts told them he was dangerous, so nobody dared to approach him. Very few had ever seen him and live, and those had only seen a glimpse of him from the distance. Although they could not see his whole body, his silhouette appeared larger than any cat they have ever seen, his had glowing red eyes were the colour of blood, and his deadly fangs reflected the moonlight.

"Every night he prowled in the depth of the forest, seeking for stray cats to kill. The giant cats lived every moment of their lives in terror and unease, for they feared that one day, Fang of the Shadows would hunt them down too."

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Excerpt from Chapter 1: Betrayal

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Suddenly, the memories came rushing in. They came like a giant tidal wave, blowing the frail and delicate she-cat off her paws. She struggled to control her emotions, but the images continued to flow to her mind without any signs of stopping. Everything that happened the past few moons replayed itself in her head. She remembered who she was and why she was here. She remembered her sister, her clan and her family. There were good memories and bad ones. But the ones that left her dazed and frightened were the terrible memories of _him_.


	2. Chapter 1: Betrayal

**LIVING IN A WORLD OF LIES**

_Have you ever been lied to? Did someone ever tell you they loved you but then threw you away like worthless dirt? To be abandoned and betrayed and forgotten like that, and then have everything you ever loved taken away from you… believe me, it hurts. It hurts so terribly that it leaves a wound so deep in your heart that you can never be healed. It will plague your thoughts day and night until the day you fall. And collapse. And finally, die._

This story takes place in the lake territory decades after Firestar's rule. All cats are original characters and are owned by me (muffinluv), Shadowed Horizon, UntamedWind and Tawnycloud. DoomClan is © me (muffinluv).

**COMMENTS: **Chapter 1 is done. Hurray! Things finally start a bit more getting interesting. Oh and I'm halfway through chapter 2. I'm probably going to post chapter 3 and 4 next week. Enjoy!  
PS: There will be three parts to this story, each with a different hero/heroin. It'll be a long while before I even finish Part 1 though. XD

**EDITTED ON APRIL 27, 2008**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Warriors series it is **©** to Erin Hunter and HarperCollins Publisher. This story, plot and characters belong to me unless otherwise stated. As always, plagiarism is prohibited.**

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**PART I: MEMORIES OF THE PAST**

_Never before had she felt so betrayed, so defeated. Utterly alone and left to fend for herself She trusted him with all her heart. She loved him more than life itself. She would give her life to him. She believed he was her true love sent from StarClan themselves. But what she didn't know was that he; the one she loved so dearly, would betrayed her._

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**Chapter 1: Betrayal**

_A dark cloud blocked the crescent _moon's pale silver light as it enveloped the land an infinite darkness. The night was cold and sinister, and the scent of fear lingered in the atmosphere. An uncomfortable dampness clung to the air.

In the middle of a forest, a massive tomcat loomed over a small tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat; his sleek black coat reflected the little light that travelled its way through the dense clouds. And then there were his eyes.

His eyes. That was what she feared the most. Those cold, cruel crimson orbs that could pierce through any cat's soul. The pain his bloody-red gaze had brought her was worse than a million claws raking through your fur, or the powerful jaws and a badger delivering its killing blow upon its victim. And for a long heartbeat, his gaze once again penetrated her.

Suddenly, a crash of lightning lit up the night sky, and thunder roared, as fierce as TigerClan themselves. In that heartbeat, the giant tom looked even more menacing than he ever did before. Without warning, the dark clouds gave way to rain and she was soon drenched.

"Hand over my kits!" He snarled above the howling wind and the deafening storm. It was a snarl so deep and threatening that it made the she-cat cower under his booming voice.

"Why are you do this to me? You said you loved me. How could you?" The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat pleaded, her voice almost drowned by the endless pitter-pattering of rain as it splattered onto the muddy ground. She flinched under the menacing gaze of her mate, even more threatening than the roaring thunder. There was so much desperation in her voice as she spoke, "Please don't take my kits, they're all I have…"

"Fool." He snickered; his wicked eyes wild with laughter. "If you're not going to hand them over, then I'm afraid I have no other option." And with that, the massive black tom lunged at her.

She saw a flash of unsheathed claws and bared fangs. Then all was still.

--

_Where am I?_

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Suddenly, the memories came rushing in. They came like a giant tidal wave, blowing the frail and delicate she-cat off her paws. She struggled to control her emotions, but the images continued to flow to her mind without any signs of stopping. Everything that happened the past few moons replayed itself in her head. She remembered who she was and why she was here. She remembered her sister, her clan and her family. There were good memories and bad ones. But the ones that left her dazed and frightened, were the memories of him.

Desperate to be rid of her horrible thoughts, she forced herself to stand up herself. The minute she got to her paws, a sharp pain shot through her whole body. Her head spun with dizziness and she collapsed onto the ground.

In her second attempt to stand up, she was much more successful. The tortoiseshell she-cat staggered a few paces, but was able to balance as she stood still, finally getting a good view of her surroundings for the first time.

Birds were chirping and a gentle breeze ruffled her fur. The morning sun shone down on the earth. Its golden rays warmed the earth with its delicate touch. But for Dapplepelt, the glorious sunshine meant nothing. Her mind was still churning with the thoughts that had now taken over her body.

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**Excerpt from Chapter 2: Devastated**

Fear consumed her conscience_, _yet something deep inside told her this must be done. Dapplepelt limped forward, towards a place so familiar. She had loved this place at once; even abandoned her clan, her family, and everything she had ever known to be here. But now, she despised it. She vowed to herself that she would never come here again, but duty calls. She hoped it would soon be forgotten, becoming nothing but a faint memory in the back of her mind. But clearly, that was not going to happen. Today, she had to visit her old haunts, no matter how much she hated the thought of it.


	3. Chapter 2: Devastated

**LIVING IN A WORLD OF LIES LIVING IN A WORLD OF LIES**

_Have you ever been lied to? Did someone ever tell you they loved you but then threw you away like worthless dirt? To be abandoned and betrayed and forgotten like that, and then have everything you ever loved taken away from you… believe me, it hurts. It hurts so terribly that it leaves a wound so deep in your heart that you can never be healed. It will plague your thoughts day and night until the day you fall. And collapse. And finally, die._

This story takes place in the lake territory decades after Firestar's rule. All cats are original characters and are owned by me (muffinluv), Shadowed Horizon, UntamedWind and Tawnycloud. DoomClan is © me (muffinluv).

**NOTE: I do not own the Warriors series it is **©** to Erin Hunter and HarperCollins Publisher. This story, plot and characters belong to me unless otherwise stated. As always, plagiarism is prohibited.**

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**COMMENTS: **Yay! I knew I could do it! D This chapter took the least time for me to write. I really want to finish chapter three today, but I have a dentist appointment soon and I don't have any more time. Ah well, enjoy and please review!

**EDITTED ON APRIL 27, 2008**

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PART I: MEMORIES OF THE PAST

_Never before had she felt so betrayed, so defeated. Utterly alone and left to fend for herself She trusted him with all her heart. She loved him more than life itself. She would give her life to him. She believed he was her true love sent from StarClan themselves. But what she didn't know was that he; the one she loved so dearly, would betrayed her._

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Chapter 2: Devastated

_Her fear consumed her conscience, _yet something deep inside told her this must be done. Dapplepelt limped forward, towards a place so familiar. She had loved this place at once; even abandoned her clan, her family, and everything she had ever known to be here. But now, she despised it. She vowed to herself that she would never come here again, but duty calls. She hoped it would soon be forgotten, becoming nothing but a faint memory in the back of her mind. But clearly, that was not going to happen. Today, she had to visit her old haunts, no matter how much she hated the thought of it.

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The sun was already at its highest point and Dapplepelt was only halfway there. Blood was gushing out from a wound on her flank, leaving a trail of thick scarlet liquid behind her. Her head felt light and dizzy, but she forced herself kept going.

Tired and hungry, the scrawny tortoiseshell-and-white queen slumped down under the shade of a small gorse bush. She lay there, panting. Her mind that was once occupied by the obstacles that weaved itself through of this painful journey was beginning to slip as a tide of memories that she couldn't bear to think of shoved it's way to her thoughts. She was confused and clueless. It was like piecing a puzzle together, only to discover that half the pieces missing.

As the out-of-breath she-cat licked her wound, a glimpse of brown and ginger caught her eyes. Dapplepelt crept forward; curiosity prickling her fur. As she drew closer to where the brown colours lay, behind a clump of bracken, she realized it was a cat.

Dapplepelt looked down at the mound of brown-ginger fur. Her paws were suddenly planted into the ground. Her eyes opened wide with horror, and the she-cat stumbled back a few paces, her eyes never leaving the brown-and-ginger pelt. Her trembling legs gave way and she fell onto the ground with a heavy thud. Her heart lurched; she recognised this cat.

What Dapplepelt was staring at was a tortoiseshell she-kit, lying motionless among the bracken. The dead kit looked exactly like her, only smaller. There was a deep wound on her neck and a puddle of dried blood surrounded her lifeless body.

_Moss?_ It took many moments for the shocked she-cat to snap back to reality. She could think and move again. Her mind couldn't register the thoughts fast enough, and Dapplepelt padded up to the body without thinking. She gently nosed the she-kit's dappled flank. Almost instantly, she jerked back, surprised at how cold and icy the kit's pelt was. _Oh my beautiful daughter…who did this to you?_

But deep down, she knew the answer to that question. She knew who had taken her precious kit's life.

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Dapplepelt crouched down next to the dead kit; her eyes clouded with grief. The kit's name was Moss, and she once was an adorable little kitten whose curiosity was as big as her large amber eyes were. She was Dapplepelt's beloved daughter, one of her three kits. But now she was nothing more than a decaying corpse. Lying among the ferns, left to rot.

As Dapplepelt began to groom Moss's unkempt fur, her mind was suddenly filled with darkness and hatred. She wanted to avenge the little kit's death. She wanted to kill her murderer. But then she began to doubt herself, feeling helpless and weak. She knew that those were just empty thoughts, and she would never be able to outsmart the murderer.

She feared him; she feared his immense strength and his bloody eyes. But she knew he had her other two kits, and she feared for their safety. That fear outshadowed her other fear by far. She feared that her remaining kits would end up the same as Moss: dead. And for that reason alone, Dapplepelt knew she had to face her fears and find Shadowfang.

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Excerpt from Chapter 3: Courage

The sky was painted with hues of fiery red, orange and gold, and the sun, now looked like a ball of fire, was slowly vanishing behind the eastern horizon. The scene looked as beautiful as ever, with its bright warm colours and the natural beauty of the forest. But the running cat, now only a dark shape across the horizon of the moorland hills, outlined it a thin line of gold light was in turmoil. No matter how gracefully her lithe body was as she pelted through the endless bracken bushes, it could not disguise her pain and worry and the forever ache in her young heart.


	4. Chapter 3: Courage

**L I V I N G + I N + A + W O R L D + O F + L I E S**

_Have you ever been lied to? Did someone ever tell you they loved you but then threw you away like worthless dirt? Being abandoned and betrayed and forgotten like that, and then have everything you ever loved taken away from you. It hurts. It hurts so terribly that it leaves a wound so deep in your heart that you can never be healed. It will plague your thoughts day and night until the day you fall. And collapse. And finally, die._

**The longest chapter yet! I really want to finish part 1 and get on with Hazystorm's story. But I'm guessing that it will take me at least a month to finish. This is taking way longer than I thought. Anyways, R&R please.**

**::N O T E:: I do not own the Warriors series however much I would like to and I am not Erin Hunter. However, this story, plot and characters belongs to me unless otherwise stated. The Clan names, territory, and Coming to Be are copyright to Tawnycloud. Plagiarism is prohibited.**

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**Chapter 3: Courage**

_More determined than ever, Dapplepelt headed towards DoomClan territory—a dark sinister forest that lay just beyond the clans._ Her thoughts were all focused on her task as she pelted through the windy moorland. She was cautious as she traveled through the bracken-covered land, for this part of the forest belonged to BrackenClan, one of the four clans. But this place was something more to her, something she had abandoned as a young warrior and now regretted.

The sky looked like it was painted with hues of fiery red, orange and gold, and the sun, which was now a fiery ball of fire, was slowly vanishing behind the eastern horizon. The scene looked as beautiful as ever, with its bright warm colours and the natural beauty of the forest. But the running cat, now only a dark shape across the horizon of the moorland hills, outlined it a thin line of gold light was in turmoil. No matter how gracefully her lithe body was as she pelted through the endless bracken bushes, it could not disguise her pain and worry and the forever ache in her young heart.

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A low grumbling noise came from Dapplepelt's belly, reminding her of how hollow her stomach was. She had not eaten for two days and the young she-cat was starving. She longed for a tasty meal of mouse, with its juicy tender meat and forest-scented flavours. But the terrible condition she was in made walking a hard task, so hunting was virtually impossible.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Dapplepelt lay down at the edge of BrackenClan territory and waited for the first star to appear. She licked her ungroomed fur attempted to wash her wounded leg clean while she rested.

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Night lay heavily upon the forest like a wet towel, not seizing to let go of its cold, deathlike grip on the land in which it possessed. Frightened and tired, Dapplepelt slowly trekked through the forest, her pale green eyes clouded with fear and anxiety. She silently travelled through the still land, too panic stricken to notice the beauty of the dark. The beauty of the delicate crescent moon as its light penetrated the Earth, turning everything into pale silver and white; the beauty of the stars as they stretched across the sky like spilt milk and the beauty of the trees as their branches gently swayed in the evening breeze.

This was DoomClan's territory. And although it was as beautiful as any forest, it always gave visitors a feeling of dread and anxiety. Cats knew what lay ahead in this sinister place, there was a band of cold-blooded cats so fierce and strong that nobody had ever dared to defy. Until now, that is.

Dapplepelt's tortoiseshell fur was bristling with hostility, her tail was held high and her eyes alert for even the smallest flicker movement along the trees. Although she was in a nervous wreck, she knew she had to do this. It was time to show him that he underestimated her. She wanted to prove she was more capable than he thought. But more importantly, her kits needed her, and she couldn't let them down.

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It was moonhigh and Dapplepelt was in the heart of DoomClan territory. Her paws were weak and trembling as she silently found her way through the dark twoleg structure. It was abandoned by its owner seasons ago, and now it lay in the middle of the forest. The abandoned den now belonged to a cat. It was where he sheltered from the rain and snow and where he slept in cold nights.

Dapplepelt had been here before. This dark sinister place was once her home. There was dust everywhere, and cobwebs hung from the corners of the walls. She could here the quiet scuttling sound of rats living in the walls and floors.

The tortoiseshell she-cat opened her jaws and breathed. She was instantly choked with dust, and she quickly snapped her mouth shut. But she had caught something else in her mouth besides the revolting dust. It was the scent of kits.

Dapplepelt navigated through the maze of walls and dens, desperately trying to find the source of the kit-scent. But she finally lost the scent, and all she could smell was the stench of this dusty twoleg den.

Just when the tired and hungry she-cat was about to give up, she heard a high-pitched mewl come from somewhere behind her. Her heart raced and she knew her kits were near.

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**Excerpt from Chapter 4: Family**

She stood at the little den's entrance, panting. Her eyes searched the dark gloomy room for any sign of life. Then a small mewl caught her attention. Dapplepelt turned her head to the direction the mew came from and saw a small bundle of fur in the corner. She instantly knew what it was. The tortoiseshell she-cat raced to the mound of fur with her heart pounding on her chest.


	5. Chapter 4: Mother

**L I V I N G + I N + A + W O R L D + O F + L I E S**

_Have you ever been lied to? Did someone ever tell you they loved you but then threw you away like worthless dirt? Being abandoned and betrayed and forgotten like that, and then have everything you ever loved taken away from you. It hurts. It hurts so terribly that it leaves a wound so deep in your heart that you can never be healed. It will plague your thoughts day and night until the day you fall. And collapse. And finally, die._

**I know I said this chapter would be called Family, but I think Mother suits it better… **

**Gosh these chapters are getting longer and longer… this one is 1,180 words long! This chappie basically explores this kits personalities and Dapplepelt's reaction to whatever that happened moons ago before her kits could remember. **

**Please review! I love letting reviews, it really gives me the energy to continue writing this… and I really would like some tips to help me improve my writing. Oh and I didn't edit this chapter, so don't be surprised if you find a lot of mistakes.**

**::N O T E:: I do not own the Warriors series however much I would like to and I am not Erin Hunter. However, this story, plot and characters belongs to me unless otherwise stated. The Clan names, territory, and Coming to Be are copyright to Tawnycloud. Plagiarism is prohibited.**

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**Chapter 4: Mother**

Dapplepelt did not waste any time. She hurried towards the place where she heard the sound come from, with silent pawsteps on the wooden floors.

The small tired she-cat stood at the little den's entrance, panting. Her pale green eyes searched the dark gloomy room for any sign of life. Then a small mewl caught her attention. Dapplepelt turned her head to the direction the mew had come from and saw a small bundle of fur in the corner. She instantly knew what it was. The tortoiseshell she-cat raced to the mound of fur with her heart pounding against her chest.

Dapplepelt saw two kits huddled together; they were toms, one black and the other gold. Her whole body felt warm as she was swept away by a tide of happiness and relief. Dapplepelt wrapped herself around the tiny kits and began to lick their matted fur.

_Oh! My lovely kits! Thank StarClan I've finally found you._

No matter how blissful she felt, Dapplepelt knew that there was no time to rejoice with her family now. They had to leave soon, for she could smell another cat's scent on the kits and knew whom it belonged to. _He must be nearby._

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_Three moons later._

A tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat lay under a giant willow tree, comfortably napping among the soft moss between the crevices of two roots. Next to her were her two kittens- one was as black as the night with unusual crimson eyes, and the other was gold with green eyes, were play fighting with each other. The bigger of the two, a black tom batted the smaller golden cat with a sheathed paw, sending his brother flying. As the smaller kit landed, he bumped right into the sleeping tortoiseshell mother. She slowly opens her eyes, which looked like a pair of two beautiful jade stones embedded in a silky dappled fabric and eyed her two kits with annoyance. Her first thought was to go back to sleep, but as her stomach grumbled loudly, she thought maybe a little hunt would be nice.

"Hazystorm, Thunder, we're going hunting." The pretty tortoiseshell meowed, her eyes cold and her voice stern.

"Oh yes! That would be wonderful mama!" The golden-coloured tom exclaimed, his eyes shone with excitement, for he was completely unaware of his mother's quiet behaviour. Perhaps it was that he had gotten used to it, because she had always spoke like this every since the five-moon-old kit could remember or maybe he was just too caught up with the idea of finally being able to do something interesting after being cooped up beside his mother for so long. As for the black tom, he simply nodded. But there was an ominous look in his crimson eyes too, as if he was out looking for revenge. His mother shuddered and instantly looked away, her eyes clouded with emotion and horrible memories of the past.

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"Watch." Dapplepelt simply meowed to Hazystorm and Thunder, her eyes still fixed on the water vole among the reeds. The tortoiseshell she-cat slowly stalked the brown creature as it nibbled on a small nut of some sort. But as she hunted the water vole, Hazystorm noticed something strange in his mother's eye—fear. It was as if she was not the one hunting, but the one that was being hunted. Although she was able to successfully kill her prey quickly with a swift bite to the neck, he couldn't help but notice that she was definitely not concentrated on hunting, but there was something else occupying her mind. Once or twice, the black tom even caught her glancing back at him fearfully, as if afraid that her own son would attack her. Sometimes Hazystorm would stare back at her with curiosity, but only to catch a glint of guilt and fear in her pale green eyes before she hastily turned away.

But Hazystorm's brother wasn't as observant as he was, and the golden tom only saw the success of the kill and was now jumping up and down with excitement. "That was amazing, mama!" Thunder meowed, his eyes shone with pride for Dapplepelt. "Can I try? Can I try?" The eager little kit meowed.

Dapplepelt nodded blankly; apparently still occupied by whatever thoughts she had earlier. She did not speak, but flicked her tail instead to tell the two kits to follow her. Hazystorm blinked and bounded after his mother and brother. He was not surprised by her silence at all. In fact, Dapplepelt rarely ever spoke, and only did so when necessary. He and Thunder were used to it already, and had learned to never question their mother when she did speak, no matter how curious they were.

But today Hazystorm was awfully restless and longed for the motherly love that he and his brother never had. As the three cats settled down and began to eat the freshkill, Hazystorm began to wonder. He wanted to know so much, like who his father was and why they were rogues and not clan cats. He wanted to know why his mother was always so scared and timid, and why she always has that hunted look in her eyes. And today he decided was finally the day he would decide to ask his mother. Hazystorm never dared to ask before, for whenever he or Thunder said anything, his mother would just stare at them and occasionally ever answered He had once thought of the possibility that his mother resented them and only took care of them because she thought it was her duty.

But he could always see love in her eyes as they rested upon them, and he knew she loved them. So he didn't know why his mother was always so quiet. But he was still grateful to see that his mother loved them both. But although there was love when he looked at both her kits, Hazystorm could sense something different when she looked at him. Something close to fear and regret and guilt. Yes, regret and guilt. But what could she be guilty about? Sure the three of them always steal prey from the four clans, but that's what rogues are supposed to do, right? Besides, she never reacted much when she hunts in clan territory. So what was it that caused Dapplepelt to feel this way?

When Hazystorm snapped back to reality, he realised that most of the vole was gone—it was probably all in Thunder's stomach. Dapplepelt never seemed to eat much, so most of the time Thunder and Hazystorm were left to gorge themselves with freshkill. But today he had been too busy thinking about his mother to eat, so Thunder was able to keep most of the delicious water vole to himself.

Hazystorm quickly gulped down the scraps and began to wash himself with his brother. Thunder was yapping away about something Hazystorm could not care less about, and his mother sat afar staring straight ahead at a place far, far away, a place only she could see.

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**Excerpt from Chapter 5**

There ain't none. I haven't even started writing it. But it's going to have a little flashback to when Dapplepelt named her kits. That's basically all I have planned out for it.


	6. Chapter 5: A Question

**L I V I N G + I N + A + W O R L D + O F + L I E S**

_Have you ever been lied to? Did someone ever tell you they loved you but then threw you away like worthless dirt? Being abandoned and betrayed and forgotten like that, and then have everything you ever loved taken away from you. It hurts. It hurts so terribly that it leaves a wound so deep in your heart that you can never be healed. It will plague your thoughts day and night until the day you fall. And collapse. And finally, die._

**Sorry… I have writer's block. XP This is a really short chapter and it's pretty boring. But I really can't seem to write right now… I promise the next chapter will be better since I finally got my muse back. **

**x.skyheart.x-- Oops... I told ya there were going to be a lot of mistakes. XP Anyways, I fixed it. D Oh and Thunder isn't really dumb, he's just a normal kit. Hazystorm is a little unusual and he's more observant than normal kits. (Which I guess makes him smarter)**

**Freeheart-- Sorry for not updating soon. I kinda ran out of muse. XD**

**Queen Flowfeather-- Thanks so much. You totally understand how I feel. ;)**

**Oh and if you're reading this, then please review. I really need your support guys. **

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**Chapter 5: A Question**

Dapplepelt stared at the band of glittery stars in the night sky known as Silverpelt. She wondered whether her warrior ancestors were watching her, and whether they were pleased with her or not. _They probably hate me._ A lump welled up in her throat as she thought about everything she had done to betray StarClan. Now she wished she had listened to her clanmates. If she did, she knew none of this would happen. And she wouldn't be here, all alone. Of course she had her kits, but they were too young to understand. Dapplepelt had thought she was in love, and that she was destined to be with him. But she was wrong.

He never loved her.

She still remembered how shocked and betrayed she had felt when he told her he never loved her. And he only ever wanted her kits for DoomClan. And she was even more devastated when he took away her kits. Well, _their_ kits. And she still hated him for that.

Every time she thought of him her heart would throb with an unbearable pain. A pain as sharp as a million claws raking across your belly. And she knew that it would never go away. For it had left a wound so deep in her heart that it would never heal.

"Oh Shadowfang…" Dapplepelt whispered, her voice almost un-audible. There was desperation in that meow. It held the suffering and torture she had to bear for the past few moons. And her eyes looked even more defeated than ever.

As Dapplepelt grieved for herself, a voice meowed behind her, "Who's Shadowfang?"

The startled she-cat whipped her head around. In front of her stood a jet-black tom with the blood-red eyes. For a heartbeat she was stuck with fear as she stared at the cat. _Shadowfang? _Then her vision cleared she realized the cat standing in front of her was her son, Hazystorm.

"Oh, um… Shadowfang?" Dapplepelt stammered. She did not want to lie to her son, but she didn't want him to know about that murderous cat either. "He's a friend I met before." She lied to him, her eyes unable to meet his.

Hazystorm eyed her suspiciously. For a moment she thought he was going to ask more, but he said nothing. And the black tom nodded solemnly and walked away.

Dapplepelt stared at the sillouette of him and she felt relieved that he did not question her further. But then she felt guilt. He deserved to know whom Shadowfang was, no matter how much Dapplepelt thought against it. The tortoiseshell she-cat hesitated for a heartbeat before she called out to him, "Shadowfang is your father."

Hazystorm instantly froze in his track as Dapplepelt held her breath, waiting for his reaction. But the black tom did not speak, he continued padding forward, towards their makeshift den.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Naming**

Once again, no excerpt. P I'm writing this in a hurry, so I really don't have time. Like the title suggests, this chapter will be a flashback of when Dapplepelt was naming her kits. I wasn't planning to write this chapter, but since Hazystorm's name is like a warrior's name, I didn't want to confuse anyone so I decided to write this chapter just to tell you why Dapplepelt named him this. (No, not because she wanted him to be a warrior)


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